


Acting on Instinct

by Chimeranyx



Series: Demon King Escargoon AU [5]
Category: Hoshi no Kaabii | Kirby: Right Back at Ya!
Genre: Gang Violence, Gen, Motorcycles, Territorial Instincts, a cop gets maimed offscreen, hi i'm just adding character tags for a ton of minor characters aren't i, hints of metagoon, near-drowning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-02
Updated: 2020-12-02
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:08:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27834304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chimeranyx/pseuds/Chimeranyx
Summary: Escargoon isn't exactly pleased with the arrival of motorcycle-riding thugs in his kingdom - but does he handle it well?
Series: Demon King Escargoon AU [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1792612
Comments: 1
Kudos: 17





	Acting on Instinct

**Author's Note:**

> If you haven't read any of the previous works in this series, Ms. Aspersa is Escargoon's mother.

Melman paused to take in the night sky as he headed to the river. Oh, his eyesight certainly wasn't what it used to be - instead of the bright pinpricks of light from his youth, the stars were soft specks instead. They were still beautiful, he decided, and continued on his way.

He could just barely make out conversation up ahead, and he spotted Sir Ebrum's family and the Queen Mother up ahead, enjoying the cool air. He picked up his pace as much as his old bones would allow, happy to join the group. "Good evening, everyone."

Sir Ebrum looked over at him, beaming. "Good evening, Melman! Out for a stroll?"

Memu, in turn, peeked over her daughter's head. "Summer nights like these are just too fine for sleeping, aren't they?"

"Of course." Melman turned to the Queen Mother and bowed a little. "And you look rather splendid as well, Ms. Aspersa."

Ms. Aspersa chuckled, and Melman caught the hint of a blush under the starlight. "Oh, you're too kind!" She held her lacy fan over her mouth and batted her eyelashes a little, but was distracted by a splash below. Curious, Melman peeked over the bridge to see that Kirby had fallen into the river. Tuff was howling nearby. Melman felt a twinge of nostalgia in his heart. Oh, to be young and carefree again! A low rumble got his attention - and by the looks of it, everyone else's too. Now _that_ was familiar - but as far as he knew, the only things that could make that noise in Cappy Town were tucked away, and hadn't roared to life in ages.

Tiff's face crinkled as she looked to the sky. "Is that thunder?" 

"No…" Melman tilted his head as he listened more intently. His hearing wasn't as good as it used to be, but from the foggy mists of his mind, a memory arose. "That sounds like a two-cycle engine…. And a single cylinder, too."

"Huh?" Tiff blinked up at him.

"And they're getting closer."

A group of three motorcycles burst through the reeds, splashing through the shallows. Tiff ducked forward as Sir Ebrum hugged his wife close. Melman's beard whipped in the residual wind as he heard the queen mother choke on the exhaust.

"You were right, Melman, they were motorcycles!" Tiff shouted, squinting down the road. "But… who were those guys?"

Melman watched the taillights fade out of sight as anger pooled in his gut. He had a feeling he'd seen one of those riders before… "Nothin' but trouble."

* * *

Escargoon turned a page, his pen hovering over his notebook. Ever since he'd finished his copy of Meta Knight's demon beast notes, he'd been pouring over it whenever he had the free time, scribbling down questions and hypotheses. Of course, free time was getting hard to come by now that Meta Knight was training him - in fact, he was still a little sore from earlier. Tonight, he'd decided to study up on the walls, and under the stars - it'd be a shame to be cooped up inside on a nice night like this!

"Your majesty?" Oh, there was Waddle Doo, fixing that massive eye on him. "It's past the time when your mother usually goes to bed. Should we go looking for her?"

Escargoon shook his head. "Momma doesn't need me to enforce her bedtime." He smiled and set his notes aside. "I'd never hear the end of it if I did. Besides, Sir Ebrum's with her, so she shouldn't get too rowdy."

Waddle Doo chuckled and sat on the wall nearby. "You think she met up with Melman? I think she's sweet on him."

"Oh, _is_ she now? Good for her." Escargoon couldn't help but smile - his mother seemed to be adjusting well to life in Dream Land. "I think it's good she's thinking about that sort of thing, you know? Last person she was with was m' ren."

"Your what now?" Waddle Doo seemed confused. 

"My ren is my other parent - but they left Momma when I was really little, so I don't remember 'em that much." Waddle Doo still seemed kind of befuddled, so he grabbed his notebook and tore out a blank page. "Look, see, you get 'mom' from mother, right?" He scribbled a diagram as he spoke. "So you get 'ren' from parent."

Waddle Doo nodded. "Yeah, I get it. But how do we get dad out of father?"

"That… I don't know. Maybe we should… hm?" A deep rumble caught his attention. He listened closely - that was a motor, no, _three_ motors - and none of them belonged to the former royal limo. "... We got company."

Waddle Doo opened his mouth to speak, but didn't manage a single word, as three strange motorcycles roared up and onto the wall. Escargoon watched as the head of his guard drew his sword, and tucked the demon beast notes into his jacket. The strong stench of gasoline and rubber wafted through the air as the big guy in the middle - the leader, Escargoon guessed - leaned forward and smirked. "Evenin', your majesty. Nice digs ya got here."

"Who the hell are you?" Escargoon demanded, letting a spark dance between his horns. 

"Name's Beat. These two are my buddies, Rip and Turbo." 

"Well, unless you've got a good reason to be here, you better beat it." Something inside Escargoon was screaming to get this guy out of his kingdom _now_.

"As it turns out, we do got business here." Beat crossed his arms defiantly. "You know anyone named Steppenwolf? Older guy, rides a bike like us?"

"No. You and your pals are the first people I've seen with motorcycles around here." Well, no, there was that one delivery demon beast, but he wasn't sure that was a person. "Now get out."

"Oh, no no no. We got another person to look for here. You know a Kirby?"

"The… the toddler. He's a toddler." Escargoon pursed his lips. "What sort of thing could you be looking to do with him? You don't look like the kinda guys who like naps and playing games." 

"Someone out there's lookin' for him."

Escargoon glanced down at Waddle Doo, who made a knife motion over his throat. He nodded, and Waddle Doo backed away. "Alright. I can't imagine they're looking to do anything good, either." He fired a bolt down at the gang, who revved their motors and generated a thick cloud of acrid smoke. Escargoon's eyes stung, and he heard the bikers whoop and holler, felt something cold and metallic wrap around his arm, and he was suddenly yanked off the wall. He scrambled for purchase on the brick but found nothing, and suddenly got a good glimpse of the sky receding from him - fast.

 _Bam_! He hit the ground and scrambled to his feet, his ears ringing. Above him, Escargoon heard Waddle Doo shout, but in his disoriented state he couldn't make heads or tails of what was said. He felt the chain go taut again and he pulled back, digging his feet into the earth.

Escargoon's vision cleared and he saw Beat, grinning hungrily back at him as his bike's tires whirled. One of his lackeys - Rip or Tear, Escargoon didn't particularly care what these guy's names were - opened the castle gates. "Listen, Maimaigoon!" Beat shouted over the roar of the engines. "You should just give in and make it easier for everyone here!"

"That's not. My. _Name_!" Escargoon roared, trying to yank the chain back to no avail.

"Look at you, tryin' to act like you ain't a beast." Beat smirked and lurched forward a bit. "You want to kick my ass so much it makes you look stupid."

A flash of gold crossed Escargoon's vision, and the chain was suddenly cleaved in two. He fell on his ass as Beat suddenly shot towards the gates, barely in control over his bike. As he passed his pals, they sped after him, and all three of them rode off to who knows where. Now, the courtyard seemed almost deafeningly silent, despite the squawks of the chickens who had been rudely awakened, and Meta Knight running up to his king. "Your majesty, those three are certainly bad news."

Escargoon looked down at the chain still wrapped around his wrist. "They're definitely in Nightmare's pocket." He rose to his feet. "Let's go. I get the feeling they're going to be stopping by town."

* * *

Tonight was a good night for flying. Meta just wished the circumstances were better. 

Below him, Cappy Town glowed, and he descended, landing on the roof of the convenience store. It looked like the gang had beaten him here, judging by the shattered glass scattered on the pavement. He drew Galaxia and hopped down, feeling the shards crunch beneath his feet. 

Inside the store, Meta saw Tago staring from behind the counter, shaking as he watched Tiff confront the three thugs. _What was she thinking?_ These men were dangerous, especially since they had their motorcycles inside the store! Before Meta could do anything, though, Kirby sprayed one of the thugs in the face with a can of soda. "Why you little shit!" he yelled as he grabbed poor Kirby by the hair. "I oughta kick your teeth in for that!"

"I don't think that's a wise decision." Meta stepped forward, digging the tip of Galaxia against the biker's throat. "If you want to live to ride another day, you'll leave Kirby be."

"Oh, there ya are. The guy who's payin' us told me you'd be around." Beat smirked at Meta, and motioned to his lackey. The henchman dropped Kirby, who was quickly whisked away by Tiff and Tuff. "He said somethin' about you being a rebellious child." As Meta narrowed his eyes, he laughed in an almost friendly manner. "Hey, don't stab the messenger! God knows I've got my share of daddy issues too - only my daddy ain't the ruler of an empire!"

" _He_ is no father of mine," Meta hissed.

"Yeah, I get it. Too bad we met this way. I think we coulda been pals." Beat revved his motorcycle and motioned to his friends. "C'mon! Let's go!" 

The three sped out of the store and Meta ran after them, then paused as he heard Kirby coughing. _Right_. He whirled on his heel and checked on the three children. "Are you okay?"

"We're fine, just a little shaken -" 

Tiff was suddenly cut off by her brother. "Come on, we gotta catch those guys!" Before Meta could say anything, Tuff was already racing down the street, and he decided to give chase, skidding to a halt as he saw Tuff catching his breath near the gas station. "Aww, damn it…" he whined. "Those crooks got away with stealin' gas too!"

Nearby, Meta noticed that Gus was silent, his eyes trained on the receding taillights. "Are you alright, Gus?"

"That guy… there's no doubt about it. That was Beat." Gus looked at the small group that was slowly gathering. "... I feel like we got off easy."

"Wait, you know that guy, Gus?" Tiff asked. "How?"

"Listen, I…" Gus clenched his fists. "I used to in a gang with Beat." He stared off into the distance. "I cleaned up my act, but it looks like he hasn't changed at all."

"Can you help us, then?" Meta asked. "We could use as many hands on deck as we can get."

"I haven't ridden my bike in years. I swore off riding forever, actually." Gus turned away as the heavy footsteps of the king approached. "I'm sorry, but you're on your own here."

As Escargoon arrived, Sword and Blade were close on his heels. "Meta Knight! Did you see where those guys went?"

"That way!" Meta pointed towards the countryside. "Gus, take the children inside. The gang may return soon."

"Right. Come on, kids." Gus scooted the kids towards his garage as Meta and Escargoon ran off to begin the hunt.

* * *

As the sun rose, Gus watched the horizon. The king hadn't returned, and a rotten feeling was growing in his gut. He sighed, turned, and opened his garage. His boots thudded on the concrete floor as his heart thudded in his chest. Gus approached a canvas-covered lump and pulled the cloth away. 

Surprisingly, he still felt as if he was seeing an old friend. His bike still gleamed - and of course it did, he checked on it at least once a year, even if he didn't ride it anymore. He just didn't expect to be uncovering it this soon.

"What's that ya got there?"

"Ah!" Gus flipped the rough cloth down and whirled to see Melman. "None of your business."

"That's your bike, ain't it?" Melman limped forward. "Why don't you use it to confront Beat?"

Gus stepped towards Melman. "Listen, you don't know what's going on, so-" 

The screech of tires pierced the air, and Gus found himself face to face with Beat.

"Hey Gus. Long time no see." Beat leaned closer - uncomfortably so, to the point where Gus could smell cigarettes and booze on his breath. "We swung by last night, but I guess you weren't around."

"Beat! What the hell are you doing here?" Gus inched in front of Melman, intent on protecting the elderly mailman.

"I ain't got any business with a coward like you." Beat growled. "I'm lookin' for that old guy…" 

"Wait, you don't mean…" _Even after all these years?_

"Yeah. Steppenwolf." Beat looked over Melman, a wicked gleam in his eyes. "Actually… he'd be about this geezer's age."

"Hey, grandpa!" Rip yelled. "Wanna go for a ride?"

"We'll take ya home, safe and sound." Turbo teased.

"Hey!" Gus thrust himself between Melman and the gang. "Quit picking on a defenseless old man!"

"Yeah? What are you gonna do?" Beat laughed and sped off after a now fleeing Melman. He and his goons nearly ran over the poor postman, and Gus ran to his aid. "Melman! Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine…" Melman was clearly _not_ fine - a dark bruise was forming over his cheek. Gus felt something snap inside him - this was the last goddamn straw! He ran back to his garage and hopped onto his bike. The engine roared to life, like it had so many years ago, and he peeled out and gave chase. As Gus zoomed out of the village, he passed the mayor's car and a small group of people. For a moment, he wondered what they were up to, but he didn't have time to focus on that.

Soon, he caught sight of the gang, and pulled up next to Beat. "Get the hell out of here!" he demanded.

"Well! I thought ya didn't ride anymore, Gus!" Beat yelled back. 

"Quit causin' trouble for honest people!"

"No, I don't think I will!" Beat lunged at Gus, nearly knocking him off the bike. "If I keep causin' trouble, Steppenwolf's gotta show up!"

"Steppenwolf doesn't live here! He never has and never will!" Gus yelled, then braced himself as Beat bashed against him again. 

"I'm gonna stay until I can be sure you ain't lying!" 

"Like hell you are!" Gus kicked Beat away and hung back, slamming into his lackies until he saw a familiar glitter out of the corner of his vision - and Beat seemed to notice it too. "Kirby!"

Gus grinned at the little star warrior. "Yo! Mind helping me with these clowns?"

"Poyo!" Kirby distracted Rip and Turbo while Gus rushed ahead. Soon, he heard loud crashing behind him and Kirby soared aside him. He and Gus shared a quick smile -

"Eat this!" A cruel chain wrapped around Kirby and the warpstar, pinning the toddler down and dragging him down to earth. Kirby screamed as Beat grinned back, a glint in his eyes -

A dark shadow swooped down onto Beat, tearing him off his bike. Kirby lay still, and Meta Knight was suddenly there, cradling the little boy in his arms. Gus skidded to a stop and focused back on Beat, who got hit by a lightning bolt. Right, the king was here, and Sword and Blade ran up next to Gus, and... _Oh_.

Escargoon looked downright _livid_ as he bore down on Beat. Sparks were flying from his horns, and he grabbed the biker by the throat. " _I told you to get the hell outta my kingdom_!" he roared and bashed Beat into the ground. Gus watched in terrified awe. Escargoon's clothes were in shreds, and his face was twisted into a mask of fury. _Is this what Dedede saw before he died?_ Soon, Beat was limp, and Escargoon threw his body at his bike and zapped him for good measure. "Good riddance," he spat.

Gus opened his mouth to speak, but found no words - instead, he glanced at Sword and Blade, who seemed oddly calm about the whole thing. Beat was gone. Just like that. Escargoon walked over to him. He gripped his handlebars, ready for whatever would happen, before noticing how dazed the king looked. "Hey… thanks."

"Huh?" Gus lifted his goggles off his eyes.

"You helped. I -" Escargoon looked over at Meta Knight, who was tending to Kirby. "Is he okay?" 

Meta Knight looked up and nodded, and Kirby cooed. Escargoon sighed in relief, and flopped down in the dust, the ground shaking beneath his weight. "God… what was that?"

Meta Knight stepped forward. "It may have been your instinct, sire."

"Instincts. _Great_. That's… another thing to put up with." Escargoon rubbed his eyes. "God. I need a nap."

Gus felt a tiny smile curl his lips. "I think we all do." Sure enough, Kirby's eyes were drifting shut already, despite the rumble of the motorcycle engine. "Come on, let's get going." 

" _Not. So. Fast_." Wait, was that… Beat? Gus looked over and saw his old friend, struggling up to his feet and roaring. His body glowed, and his body transformed into some sort of mix between man and machine, with wheels for feet and exhaust pipes and handlebars forming a sort of crest. "Listen here. I got a lot ridin' on this job." Beat's voice had turned into a deep mechanical growl. "So good luck gettin' rid of me!" His wheels whirled, and he sped off towards the village.

"Alright then. You wanna go, Beat? Let's ride!" Gus slapped his goggles on and tore off after the beast.

* * *

By the time Escargoon arrived back in town, the place was in shambles. He saw Chief Borun laying on the ground as his wife cradled him. Nearby, Tiff was leaning against the big tree, rubbing tears out of her eyes. "What happened?" He asked, his tone gentle yet urgent.

Tiff blinked up at him and wiped a bit of snot away. "T-the demon beast, it…" She looked at the chief, who appeared to be out cold. "It ran him over, and then… your mother, it grabbed her and drove off to who knows where… and Gus followed it, but..."

Escargoon's mind went blank with rage. "It. Did. _What_?" Electricity crackled over his head, as a motorcycle sped past him, with a strange old man on it, and he spotted dark tire marks on the ground. Escargoon charged forward, following the marks. It seemed that the beast was heading towards the beach - maybe to the cliffs. Escargoon had no time to waste! 

When he arrived, he spotted Gus and the old man, who'd cornered the beast against the rocks. Beat, or whatever this thing called itself, was pinning his poor mother to the cliffs. Her eyes widened at the sight of him. "Junior!"

"Momma!" Escargoon winced as the beast cocked back his arm as if to bash his mother's head in. 

"Careful now, _Junior_. Don't want your momma gettin' hurt." The beast smirked. "Maybe I should break her spine, like I did with Officer Friendly back there."

"You wouldn't _dare_ ," Escargoon growled as he thought over his options. Meta had pointed out he tended to go for using his lightning powers - perhaps now was time to mix it up a bit. He was aware of sparks flying up his horns like a Jacob's ladder, but instead of shooting at Beat, he lowered his horns and charged at the monster. Beat screeched and dropped his mother, who was caught by the strange old man. The stranger sped away towards the castle, leaving Escargoon and Gus to focus on the beast. As black, oily blood dribbled down his forehead, Escargoon twisted to the right, flinging Beat towards Gus. There, Escargoon pinned him down, but struggled to keep him in place. Gus stared at the two, then pulled out the chain and started to swing it over his head, though he seemed unsure.

 _This wasn't Gus's business._ Oh, but it was - he and Beat had history. _But Beat was a demon beast now…_ did he really want to drag Gus into it?

"Gus!" Escargoon barked. "You… you don't gotta do this! I'll figure it out!"

Beneath him, Beat chortled. "Still trying to pretend you ain't a beast, huh? Well, look at your king, Gus!" He lurched forward, spilling black smoke out of his exhaust pipes. "Look at him as he tries to kill me!"

"Shut. _UP_!" Escargoon brought his fist down onto Beat's skull. Beat screamed and spat out more rancid blood. 

Gus flung the chain forward, where it wrapped around Beat's neck. "You know what, Beat? Beast or not, this guy is doin' way more for us than the last king!" He revved up his bike and sped in the opposite direction. Escargoon, in turn, let Beat go. The beast skidded in the dirt, off towards the ocean. Escargoon followed after the two, watching as Gus skidded to a stop. Beat ricocheted forward, off the cliff, bringing the chain and Gus with him.

Escargoon wasn't taking any chances. He dove after the two, plunging into the cool salty water. It stung his eyes, and he blinked - until something cold wrapped around his neck. He saw Beat in the corner of his vision, which was starting to cloud up. Was this it? Would he die here? Not a chance! He dug his elbow back into Beat's ribcage, and heard a grunt behind him. The chain loosened and Escargoon swam up towards the sunlight. 

As he broke the surface, Escargoon's lungs greedily sucked in air. All too soon, though, the chain tightened around his throat and dragged him back under. Through squinted eyes, Escargoon saw Gus swimming towards them. He kicked Beat in the face, and he screamed and let the chain go to grip his busted nose. Escargoon spun and looked around, seeing a mast from a long-forgotten shipwreck. _Bingo_. 

Escargoon swam down to the mast, dragging a hapless Beat behind him. Gus was clinging to his jacket, and together, the two wrapped the chain around the mast, around Beat, binding him there. Even through his fogging vision, Escargoon clearly saw Beat glaring at him as he struggled against the chains. Escargoon simply smiled, waved, and kicked for the surface.

Again, he broke the surface, gasping for air. He tried to peer through the water for Beat, but couldn't make anything out except for a cloud of bubbles. He heard a splash nearby and Escargoon spun to see Gus surfacing behind him. He lifted his goggles up as a soft smile crossed his lips. "... Is it over?"

The bubbles slowed to a slow trickle. "I think so," Escargoon rasped, feeling something rising in his chest. He chuckled, then threw his head back and cackled. He felt downright _giddy_ now that Beat was at the bottom of the sea. "That'll teach 'em not to intrude on my kingdom!"

"... Right. I'm uh. Gonna go." Gus turned and paddled back to shore, leaving Escargoon to whoop with laughter as he bobbed in the surf.

* * *

Later, though, Escargoon's mood was severely soured.

It wasn't because of his mother. She seemed to be in relatively good shape and spirits. Rather, it was because Yabui had called him with concerning news.

Chief Borun would never walk again.

Escargoon picked at his stew as he stewed over this information. Truthfully, he and Borun never got along, but the news was still kind of a slap to the face. Also, the cop's sudden retirement meant that there was no law enforcement other than him. Maybe he could ask Waddle Doo if the Dee Corps could patrol the area, but… he didn't know.

He pushed his dinner aside. He wasn't hungry.

Escargoon decided to wander the halls as he let his thoughts wander. Earlier, he'd gone berserk - and when Beat had died, he'd felt a wave of ecstasy that made him feel _good_ , feel _powerful_ , feel in _control_. Thinking back, he'd wanted Beat out as soon as he laid eyes on him - had his instincts figured out that guy was a demon beast before he had?

"Your majesty?"

"Hm?" Escargoon looked over at Meta Knight, who was perched on a pedestal. "When did you get here?" 

"I've been here," Meta said with his familiar little head tilt. "You simply passed by."

"Oh." Escargoon was actually a little relieved to have found him. "Listen, I've got questions."

"In that case, sire, I will do my best to answer." Meta said. "Would you like me to walk with you?"

"Actually…" Escargoon extended a hand. "Would you rather ride on my shoulders?"

Meta blinked. "Sure." He removed his cape and fluttered up to perch next to Escargoon's head. "Alright, sire." Meta's voice was almost directly in his ear. "What would you like to know?"

"Instincts." Escargoon said, his tone as neutral as he could make it. "You didn't go in-depth about them in your notes - or at least, I haven't gotten to that part yet."

"Alright then." Meta Knight leaned against his head. "Most demon beasts have instincts, but the amount those instincts influence their behavior varies." He paused. "By the way, where were you going?"

"Oh, nowhere in particular." Escargoon said. "Do you, um, want to go anywhere?"

"Anywhere you are comfortable, sire."

"Okay." Escargoon decided to head back to the throne room. "Continue."

"Mh. You have seen demon beast instincts before you turned. Lololo and Lalala have a strong pair bond - to the point where they despise being apart." Meta shifted as the two entered the throne room. "I believe you have a strong territorial instinct, and have come to think of the kingdom as your territory."

"Oh?" Escargoon flopped into his throne.

"Yes. You did not remove me and the other two because we did not pose a threat." Meta climbed down off Escargoon's shoulder. "Or… no, no, that would be improper." 

"Mmh?" Escargoon's interest was piqued. "What would be improper?"

Meta turned away. "Are you certain you want to know?"

"Well, yeah. I'm bound to find out eventually, right?" 

"Alright. Fine. It… may be because you saw one of us as… as a potential mate." Meta stammered.

Escargoon couldn't help it - he giggled. "But that's silly, right? Just… straight off the factory floor and I'm lookin' for a boyfriend?" He snorted and shook his head. "Lololo's too young and Lalala's too young and a girl. The only eligible demon bachelor would be -" he realized he was thinking out loud. "Oh."

"... Yes. A relationship between us would be incredibly inappropriate." Meta glanced back at Escargoon. "You are my king and I am your knight."

"When you put it _that_ way, though…" Escargoon smirked coyly down at Meta Knight, toying with one of his ringlets. "It's kind of romantic, right?"

"Escargoon… I do not want to talk about this. Not right now." Meta's voice sounded stilted. "Please."

"Alright." Escargoon then noticed that the throne room doors were slightly ajar, with Waddle Doo peeking through. "Your majesty? Gus is here to see you." 

"Oh? Alright, let him in." Escargoon nodded to Meta Knight. "You may take your leave, then."

"Thank you, sire." Meta ducked out of the room as Gus entered. Escargoon focused his attention on him. "So, what brings you here so late?"

"I…" Gus licked his lips. "I wanted to say thank you for helpin' with Beat earlier."

"Well, I mean…" Escargoon rubbed his forehead. He knew Gus had heard the short conversation about instincts, out in the canyons. He decided not to bring it up. "He swung on us first, so to speak. You think I'm gonna let some jerk make my kingdom into his playground?" 

"Well, no." Gus chuckled a little. "You know, for a demon beast, you're a much better king than Dedede ever was."

For some reason, that made Escargoon feel guilty. No, no - he knew exactly why he felt guilty. "... I planned to be a better king than him before uh…" He motioned to his body. "All this."

"You… huh?" Gus rubbed the stubble on his chin. "You mean you were thinkin' of overthrowing him?"

"More like fantasized about becoming king." Escargoon squeezed his eyes shut. "I didn't want to hurt him, it was just… insurance, y'know? In case he had an accident or something." 

"Right." Gus nodded. "I figured you'd be next on the throne, since he didn't have any kids." 

"Mhm. But it's… god. How do I put this?" Escargoon drummed his fingers on the arm of the throne. "Listen, I'm not sure if I genuinely like you guys, or if it's just instinct, but I _want_ to see Dream Land thrive." He found his gaze travelling up to the ceiling. "... And there's bastards out there who want to stomp this kingdom to dust."

"... Yeah. Well…" Gus cleared his throat. "We got you, Meta Knight and Kirby."

Escargoon blinked and looked down at the mechanic. "... It's a bit of a surprise to hear myself in a sentence with those two, you know."

"I guess so, huh?" Gus chuckled. "Anyway, I should head on home. Mayor's car needs repairs, so I gotta get up early." He turned and waved. "See you 'round."

"You too, Gus." Escargoon waited for him to leave, then got up to go to his room and wind down for the night - and he had a lot of unwinding to do.


End file.
